1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footwear and, in particular, to a shoe with a secured tongue. The benefits are imparted from a more comfortable and aesthetically pleasing shoe with a tongue that does not move during motion and thus does not chafe and add discomfort to the wearer.
Shoes comprise an upper, midsole and outsole. Typically, the upper on an athletic shoe comprises of an outer shell and tongue. The tongue allows the user to easily insert the user's foot into the shoe and also provides support to the upper. Furthermore, the tongue diffuses the pressure from the laces which are found on top of the tongue. However, during strenuous activity such as running, the tongue tends to shift locations and move, specifically towards the lateral side of the shoe, thus causing chafing and discomfort to the user. Since the tongue shifts locations, it can no longer properly diffuse pressure along the foot and therefore, additional discomfort from the pressure from the laces becomes apparent. There is a need for a device that secures the tongue to the outer shell, yet still maintains comfort and adjustability.
2. Description of Related Art
Prior art shoes with no means of securing the tongue tend to have tongues that continuously shift and move during activities such as running. This causes chafing, discomfort and the design and aesthetic qualities of the shoe to be compromised.
Prior art shoes have attempted to secure the tongue by placing Velcro®/hook and loop connectors to the top of the tongue or around the eyelets. However, this does not allow for much adjustability of the tongue and may present discomfort to the user.
Other prior art shoes have attempted to secure the tongue by placing elastic strips connected to the tongue and to a portion of the midsole or the bottom of the outer shell. However, this has led to constrained and uncomfortable feet due to the elastic material being too tight.
The present invention aims to provide a shoe with a tongue secured to the outer shell while not inducing any pain, maintaining comfort and providing visual appeal by maintaining the integrity of the design of the upper with the tongue in place.